KNITTERS fans got together on Monday to mark the sterling contribution to the club by the man affectionately known as “Kojak”.

Midfielder Leon Jackson was reluctantly forced to hang up his boots last month after struggling to fully recover from a broken ankle sustained against Harrogate Town during the 2007/8 season.

The 31-year-old made 213 appearances for the club during his seven-year stay and scored 42 goals - a record many strikers would be proud of. So to mark his time at Hinckley, the supporters’ club arranged for a presentation to Jackson in the clubhouse after the Redditch game.

Jackson said he was aiming to stay involved with the club and has already spoken to Dean Thomas about the possibility of a scouting role. In the meantime, he is coaching Wednesbury Youth team in the Midland Floodlit League and is taking his level two FA coaching badges in October.

Jackson said: “I was having a look on the Hinckley website and saw there were a lot of kind words on there. It is fantastic to come back.

“The last couple of seasons have been difficult with my injury, but I spoke to Dean when I finished and said I would like to be involved with the club. He mentioned looking at a few teams and seeing how they are getting on - a bit of a scouting mission.”

On his time with the Knitters, he said: “There have been a lot of ups and downs but the Workington play-off semi-final was a big one. I scored in that, but just getting through to the play-off final was a fantastic moment.

“There have been a lot of games, but when you have played 200 it is difficult to remember them all!”

Jackson is now looking forward to putting his feet up for a while before deciding on his next move.

He said: “I love my football and if I had the chance I would play, but I’m glad of the rest! I think I’m going to spend a year relaxing with the family and see what happens after that. I’ll be watching Sky Sports News on a Saturday afternoon for now! But I love the game and I will be involved long term.”

“I have been there myself and it is awful when the time comes to hang up your boots because you can’t carry on,” he said.

“Jacko has been such an integral part of the club and with the fans and everyone around the place and we will really miss him. He was a great player and hopefully he will now take all of his knowledge and put it into coaching if that is the path he chooses.”

A testimonial game is being planned for later this season between a Leicester Legends side and a Leon Jackson select team.